In the previous article I presented the bad news about trends in Website accessibility investment and employment opportunities. This week I'll give you the good news based on the information in that last column. First, a little rundown on Website technology and compatibility issues?

Basically, Web design isn't print design, because Web images aren't produced by stationary ink but by somewhat fluid pixels (picture elements) within an operating system (OS) which operates on a user agent (browser or some other Web viewing device). Since 1989 most OS's and user agents were what is called "incompatible." This incompatibility meant that when a Web designer or developer created a site that looked great on one OS, it might fall apart in another. While designers constantly complained about this incompatibility, the tech companies didn't listen because their incompatibilities were intentional, based on competitive marketing and on technological advancement wars. This fractured browser market added at least 25% to the cost of Web development, according to the Web Standards Project.

In 1998 the The Web Standards Project (WaSP) - a grassroots organization - was created in part by Jeffrey Zeldman in cooperation with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This group fought for standards across the technological board to reduce Web development costs and complexities and - in the process - helped to increase the accessibility and long-term viability of any site published on the Web. Through the efforts of this group, some tech industry operating systems and user agents have agreed to become more compatible.

What does this mean for your tech investment? It means that tech companies will suffer and/or benefit in some respect from more and more competition as they become less and less different on a technological level. Newer browser systems startups within the past five years created marketing based on the fact that their systems were immediately compliant. Older companies have experienced some headaches with these compliancy changes, but most have managed to uphold their agreements - if not actual applications - to the Web standards. Yes, this is good news, because the cost of producing your Website may be reduced in the near future.

Assistive technologies, such as braille and screen readers, have also been approached about meeting the Web Standards. These machines need to be compliant with browsers and visa-versa, because these tools are necessary for the visually impaired Internet user to surf the Web just like any average user. And, the technology doesn't stop here, because other user agents, such as hand-helds or PDA's (Personal Digital Assistants), phones which allow users to surf the Web, and other devices are all expected to become compatible across the board. Yes, this is good news too, because I offer some direction on how to research these companies for investment possibilities for those of you who aren't "tech-heads" below:

You can type "assistive technology," "handheld" or "PDA," or "phones with Web access" into a search engine. When your choices come up, look through them and note the browser and/or OS systems that each one uses to allow viewers to access the Internet (they will specifically state that it's an "operating system"). You can then plug those names into a search engine to investigate the companies and to see if they're publicly traded. Once you've established this list, you might browse through the WaSP site or through any one of Jeffrey Zeldman's sites (he's the best-known Web Standards evangelist in the world - at least among tech-heads) to see if your choices have complied with these standards.

In the previous article I also mentioned that the U.K. and Europe have spearheaded the movement to help make Websites more accessible from a human rights standpoint. The U.K. Publicly Available Specification (known as the PAS-78), published in March, outlines some specific changes for user agents and other technologies, for Web designers and developers, and for commissioners who assign and oversee the building of Websites. While these changes are suggestions only, the changes are being made nonetheless in preparation for possible legislation.

Therefore, if you followed some of the links I offered last week, you might make the connection that the majority of Web designers/developers who create accessible sites are now located in the U.K. While this shift in Web development power from the U.S. to the U.K. may seem disturbing, the other side of the coin might seem more exciting. The lack of designers who create accessible sites in the U.S. means that the door is open for designers to compete against other designers who are missing the accessibility boat. Add accessibility consultation for businesses to that job menu, along with more employment for the disabled.

The PAS-78 states that online tests are available to ensure that a Website meets accessibility and usability standards, but that these tests are limited because they can't emulate a real user. Therefore, the only way to really know if your Website design is accessible is to hire a disabled individual to test your site. The cost to hire disabled users to test sites isn't limited to people with viusal impairments. People who suffer from cognitive and learning disabilities, lack of mobility, and the deaf are included as well. But, the positive side is that the cost for this testing may be mitigated when that site becomes more accessible for more individuals.

My suggestion for anyone who wants to add a Web accessibility background to his or her resume is to become thoroughly familiar with the W3C standards for design and for technology. Accordingly, if you want to expand your knowledge beyond this base, you can research "Web accessibility training" in this country when you type that phrase into your search engine. Good luck!

Until Next Week,
Linda Goin